Subject
8 entries
Nasa
Bookmarks
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
The NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) is the public repository for NASA's research: conference papers, journal articles, patents, technical reports, and videos. Free public access to decades of aerospace and space science literature.
NASA Designs Travel Posters for Exoplanets
NASA's JPL-designed travel posters for exoplanets in the style of 1920s-1930s WPA travel prints — one of the most successful examples of science communication through design. The posters made exoplanet science broadly legible without dumbing it down.
Warp Drive May Be More Feasible Than Thought
Coverage of Harold 'Sonny' White's 2012 NASA research suggesting the Alcubierre warp drive might require far less exotic matter than originally calculated — reducing the energy requirement from Jupiter-mass to roughly 500kg. Speculative but grounded in real general relativity.
The Curiosity Rover's Nuclear Battery Explained
Explainer on the Curiosity rover's Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) — the nuclear battery that powers it. Unlike solar panels, the RTG works through Martian dust storms and the long polar nights, and its heat output helps keep electronics warm.
Mars Curiosity Rover: 2.5 Million Lines of Embedded C
Stack Exchange answer explaining that the Mars Curiosity rover runs on 2.5 million lines of embedded C, using a real-time operating system called VxWorks. An eye-opening look at mission-critical embedded software at its most demanding.
SpaceX Wins $440M NASA Contract for Crew Transport to ISS
SpaceX won a $440 million NASA Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) contract in August 2012 to develop crew transportation to the ISS, targeting astronaut flights by 2015. This was a key milestone in the shift from government-run to commercially-contracted human spaceflight.
The World Reacting to a New Perspective: Neil deGrasse Tyson
A video compilation of the world reacting to a new perspective — featuring Neil deGrasse Tyson's reflection on how the Apollo program's Earthrise photos changed humanity's self-conception. Bookmarked with the #Penny4NASA campaign hashtag, advocating for NASA budget restoration.
Annular Solar Eclipse, May 20, 2012
NASA's article on the May 20, 2012 annular solar eclipse, visible across the western United States with up to 94% coverage. An annular eclipse occurs when the Moon is near apogee and too small to fully cover the Sun — leaving a 'ring of fire' rather than total darkness.